Part I Organisation
Secretary of State
1 General duty of Secretary of State.
(1)
It shall continue to be the duty of the Secretary of State to promote in Scotland a comprehensive and integrated health service designed to secure—
(a)
improvement in the physical and mental health of the people of Scotland, and,
(b)
the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness,
and for that purpose to provide or secure the effective provision of services in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2)
The services so provided shall be free of charge, except in so far as the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by or under any enactment, whenever passed.
F11ADuty of the Scottish Ministers to promote health improvement
(1)
It is the duty of the Scottish Ministers to promote the improvement of the physical and mental health of the people of Scotland.
(2)
The Scottish Ministers may do anything which they consider is likely to assist in discharging that duty including, in particular—
(a)
giving financial assistance to any person,
(b)
entering into arrangements or agreements with any person,
(c)
co-operating with, or facilitating or co-ordinating the activities of, any person.
(3)
Subsections (1) and (2) are without prejudice to section 1 and any other provision of this Act conferring or imposing functions on the Scottish Ministers.